New report reveals Former First Lady Kim Keon Hee did not block BLACKPINK's performance with Lady Gaga at the White House

At the end of April 2023, during President Yoon Suk Yeol’s state visit to the United States, opposition parties raised the theory of First Lady Kim Keon Hee's involvement in the cancellation of a joint performance by BLACKPINK and Lady Gaga at the White House, which had been considered as part of the cultural events between the two countries. 

Park Ji Won and Park Sun Won, members of the Democratic Party and former National Intelligence Service officers, recently appeared on various YouTube channels and CBS radio, claiming that "Kim Keon Hee dislikes young women and blocked the performance," and asserted that "Kim Keon Hee caused the cancellation."

According to an exclusive Joongang Ilbo report, several former and current presidential office officials familiar with the situation at the time refuted this, stating, “It’s not true.” They explained that the joint performance was canceled due to financial issues and that the First Lady did not oppose it. A pro-Yoon member of the ruling People Power Party stated on February 19 in a phone conversation, “At the time, BLACKPINK had agreed not to take any additional guarantees, but the cost for staff, performance preparation, and Lady Gaga’s invitation fee were simply too difficult for both governments to bear.”

President Yoon Suk Yeol’s state visit to the United States two years ago was conducted in utmost secrecy. The U.S. had requested confidentiality until the official announcement because only two foreign heads of state could be honored each year. Amid this, in early February 2023, just two months before the visit, the White House reportedly suggested a joint performance by BLACKPINK and Lady Gaga to the Korean Embassy in the U.S., saying it reflected the wishes of the East Wing (the office of the first lady). This showed that Jill Biden, the U.S. first lady, had shown great interest. A former presidential official mentioned, “Joe Biden’s granddaughter is a big fan of BLACKPINK.”

However, the proposal raised further concerns within the presidential office. Normally, the inviting country covers all expenses for a state visit, but for this joint performance, the U.S. side proposed that they would cover Lady Gaga’s costs, while Korea would cover BLACKPINK’s. The Korean presidential office found this condition difficult to accept and began exploring alternatives. This process caused delays in reporting to President Yoon Suk Yeol. By the end of February, a foreign ministry official passed on the U.S. proposal to President Yoon Suk Yeol, who later reprimanded National Security Office officials for the reporting oversight.

President Yoon Suk Yeol then instructed a review of the joint performance proposal, fearing that ignoring it could be seen as diplomatic disrespect. However, the cost issues remained an obstacle. Although BLACKPINK agreed not to take separate guarantees considering the nature of the performance, the costs for venue preparation and staff travel alone were estimated to reach several hundred million KRW. The U.S. also faced challenges in securing Lady Gaga as initially planned. A presidential official stated, “We judged that it would be inappropriate to use taxpayer money or corporate sponsorship for the joint performance,” and “Ultimately, it was decided not to proceed with the performance.” The controversy over the reporting omission later grew, leading to the resignation of some foreign affairs officials, including Kim Sung Han, the former National Security Advisor, at the end of March that year.

The ruling party now suspects that the opposition parties’ revival of the BLACKPINK controversy, following allegations of intervention in nominations by Myung Tae Kyun, is politically motivated to attack First Lady Kim Keon Hee. They believe this is an attempt to drag her back into the political spotlight to divide the conservative base, which had been united after the impeachment proceedings in the National Assembly. Since being investigated by the prosecution for luxury handbags and stock manipulation last July, Kim Keon Hee has essentially halted her public activities and is staying in seclusion at the presidential residence. A presidential official expressed regret, stating, “We deplore the spread of baseless fake news.”